A businessman who put a mobile home on his roof without permission has been ordered to take it down.

The mobile home was winched on to the flat roof of a two-storey building at the junction of Oxford Road and Cleveland Road in Cowley.

It was described as an eyesore and a health and safety hazard by residents.

Dee Winkfield, 63, of Cleveland Road, said: "It turned up on a trailer which blocked the road and we wondered where it was going.

"The next minute it was hoisted up on to the roof. I wonder it has not gone through the roof. I know it's chained down but even so it is pretty high up, it's quite a worry.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw it. It's just an eyesore."

Neighbour Pat Chambers, who is in her 60s and whose front room looks directly at the mobile home, contacted Oxford East MP Andrew Smith's office to ask for help getting it moved.

She said: "I want to know, is it safe? Is someone going to live in it? It invades my privacy and I think it's disgusting, and an affront because he did not have any planning permission to put it there.

"We've had some horrendous winds since it has been chained up there, who knows that it's not going to get picked up by a gust of wind and lifted off and cause some real damage."

Residents said no-one appeared to be living in the static caravan, and they had not seen anyone on top of the roof since it was put there - other than Oxford City Council officers inspecting the structure.

Keith George, office manager of Thames City Insurance which is opposite the site, said: "Everyone thought it was going on the path at first, then the cranes started to hoist it up.

"It is a bit of an odd decision and I was amazed they were able to put it there.

"It looks a bit precarious and it certainly looks a bit out of place.

"I personally think it should be taken down on health and safety aspects."

Oxford City Council confirmed that the mobile home was put in place in April without planning permission.

It said the owners of the property below, Computer Assistance, had been served with a notice to remove it within 14 days - which will expire on Thursday.

Computer Assistance owner Ray Meroni said he would be removing the offending structure on Wednesday.

He said: "It is just used for storage.

"We have done with it now, we don't need it any more so it's going to come down."

Mr Meroni also admitted he had not had planning permission but said: "I don't think it looks that bad.

"There was never any intention of people living there and we took every precaution to make it safe.

"It has been chained down using very very strong chains. We have not had any concerns about health and safety."